MST3K 620 - Danger!! Death Ray
The Movie Synopsis A gang of European terrorists infiltrates a secret NATO meeting where they steal a Death Ray that was constructed for “peaceful purposes.” They also kidnap the Death Ray’s inventor. Superspy Bart Fargo is assigned to rescue the inventor and prevent the terrorists from using the ray. Bart wanders around several vaguely European cities, sleeps with and promptly dumps several women in true secret-agent style, and manages (more from luck than skill) to thwart the villains. Bop-ba-dop-ba-da-dow! Information More of a personal observation, really. The biggest problem with this movie --- besides the standard cheese one expects from a mid-sixties low-budget spy flick --- is the utter and complete lack of suspense. Whatshisname, the hero, is... Well, it's like his life is a video game he's playing, only he has all the cheat codes and is playing in god-mode. Every possible conflict or risk is defused so quickly and easily that you stop even pretending to care; ol' Spanky Beefcake is never, ever in any danger, so why pretend that anything he does actually matters? The Episode Host Segments Prologue: Crow gets contact lenses but they're quite uncomfortable. Segment One: Despite the fact that he has no feet, Servo has signed a contract to endorse sneakers. In Deep 13, Frank is his agent. Segment Two: Servo builds a death ray for peaceful purposes, but can't resist using it on Crow. Segment Three: "This is your life, Mike Nelson!" Segment Four: Crow's designs for sunglasses seem a bit woman-ey. Segment Five: Cambot gets emotional, Frank gives Dr. F a glamor shot. Stinger: Standing in a third-floor hotel room, Bart Fargo tosses his watch out the window. Then, at ground level, we clearly see a man’s hand dropping a watch into a swimming pool. Obscure References *''"Jeffrey, Steven, David...."'' (Frank on conference call, during first host segment). Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Speilberg, and David Geffen, of Dreamworks. Frank is unwisely questioning their work history. *''"Buckaroo Banzai goes to the nursing home."'' A reference to the 1984 movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. *''"Why can't I get the Red Shoe Diaries?"'' The Red Shoe Diaries was an 'erotic drama' series --- imagine "Moonlighting" with breasts and no episode continuity --- produced for the cable channel Showtime. *''"I have to go undercover as Tony Roberts?"'' The hero has an uncanny resemblance to Tony Roberts, an actor used by Woody Allen in many of Allen's movies during the 1970s. (While still active, it's hard to wash the taint of multiple 'Love Boat' appearances from one's resumé.) *''"Augustus has fallen in to the chocolate!"'' Augustus was the fat kid who fell into Willy Wonka's chocolate river, the first victim of mishap during the chocolate factory tour. *''"This is the best 'Fortune Hunter' ever!"'' Fortune Hunter was a short-lived action/adventure TV series from the mid-1990s. *''"Watermelon Man!"'' A reference to the Herbie Hancock jazz composition "Watermelon Man". *''"That nose wheel feels mushy!"'' A line from the previously featured made-for-TV movie ''San Francisco International''. Mike utters the quote when a shot of an airport tarmac is shown. *''"Abe Lincoln is 'Timecop'!"'' Timecop was a 1994 movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. *''"I'm going to shun him!"'' A reference to the Amish practice of shunning. *''"'Where Eagles Dare' moves downtown!"'' Where Eagles Dare was a 1968 World War II movie starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. *''"It's Jerry Reed! Hit him!"'' Country singer and actor Jerry Reed is best remembered for co-starring with Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit, a movie whose theme song he also recorded. *''"Look, it's kids in the hall!"'' Said when the protagonist punched out a woman who turned out to be a man as reference to Kids in the Hall, an all-men Canadian sketch comedy group who, when the need arose, would dress in drag to play as women characters. References Category:MST3K Episodes Category:Season 6 Category:Foreign Film